Refrigerating apparatus



May 21, 1929.

E. L. BARNES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet MQE \nunhnn m USS.

WITNESSES INVENTOR:

EugezwLJ5arize/s, BY W ATTORNEYS.

May 21, 1929. 1 BARNES 1,713,639

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG:

IN VEN TOR: Eugenellfiames,

ATTORNEYS.

ITNESSES y 1, 1929. E. L. BARNES REFRIGERATING [-KPPARATUS 3Sheets-Sheet Filed May 4, 1927 QMH INVENTOR:

1 rEugawL.flarlws, BY W fiATTORNEYS.

Patented May 21, 1929.

7 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE L. BARNES, OI BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARBER ASPHALT COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

' GINIA.

A CORPORATION 01' WEST VIR- mmeaaarmo arrmrus.

Application filed May 4, 1927. Serial No. 188,889.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for regenerating the working substance or refrigerant after it has absorbed heat from 5 the object or region to be refrigerated. I

aim to provide a simple, convenient, compact, and eflicient apparatus for this purpose. The invention is particularly adapted and advantageous for systems operating on the compression-condensation-vaporization cycle. I have here shown and described an embodiment of the invention suitable for an ordinary household refrigerating system.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a front elevation of an apparatus conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. II is an end view of the apparatus from the right of Fig. I, with certain parts broken awa and in section.

Fig. III 1s a view of the apparatus similar to Fig. I, but with certain arts in vertical longitudinal section, as in icated by the line IIIIII in Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows IVIV in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a fragmentary view showing certain parts in section as indicated by the line V V in Fig. III.

Fig. VI shows a section through one of the parts taken as indicated by the line VI- VI in Fig. III. 7

The apparatus here shown comprises a compressor .10 driven through a belt connection 11 by an electric motor 12; an aircooled tubular condenser 13 for the compressed vaporous refrigerant, receiving the same from the high pressure side of the compressor 10 through a pipe connection 14; and a pressure or vacuum switch 15 for controllin (starting and stopping) the motor 12 an the compressor 10. As here shown, the switch 15 includes a flexible diaphragm 16 connected to a snap switch mechanism 17. In the present instance, there is a substantially horizontal cylindrical reservoir 18 for the compressed and'condensed refrigerant, receiving the same from the lower portion of the condenser 13 through flexible pipe connections 19, 19 leading to stop valves 20, 20 attached to the reservoir.

The compressor 10 receives vaporous refrigerant at low pressure through a pipe connection 22 from a vaporizer orexpander (not shown) located in the compartment or region to be refrigerated. In the compressor lntake 23 is interposed a check valve 24, opening only toward the compressor 10. A pressure or vacuum gage 25 maybe connected to the com ressor intake 23, at the inlet side of the clieck valve 24. One side of the vacuum switch diaphragm 16 is connected and exposed to the pressure in the low side of the system through a pipe 26 connected into the intake 23 at the inlet side of the check valve 24, while the other side of the diaphragm 16 is exposed to the atmosphere. Whichever of these pressures would otherwise be dominant (generally the atmosphere in domestic refrigerating systems) is counterbalanced by a spring 27 cooperating with the other (lower) ressure. The compressed and condensed re ri erant 1s returned from the reservoir 18 to t e vaporizer (not sh'own) through a detachable pipe connection 30 attached to a stop valve 31 that is connected into one end of the reservoir 18 at the bottom thereof. As shown in Fi I and III, the reservoir 18 is also provi ed with a valved blow-off 32 attached toone end thereof at the top; through this air or excess refrigerant may be blown off.

As shown in Figs. I, II, and III, the compressor 10, motor 12, and switch 15 are supported and enclosed or protected by a base and housing structure which is open in front,

'to afford convenient access. The upper and rear portions of this housing are formed by the grid-like condensing structure, and its ends by mar 'nall flanged end plates 36.

As shown in Tig. II, the lower portions of the plates-36 are centrally cut out, so as to afford7 separate front and rear supporting legls he compressor 10, motor 12, and switch 15 are mounted on a common base plate support 35, of channel section, which extends between the end plates 36, 36 and is secured to them by bolts 38, 39 through their flanges.

As shown in Figs. I, II, and III, the condenser 13 is. of a general L-shape, with condensing surfaces formed by a couple of banks of bent tubes 40-connected at their upper ends into the rear side'of a header 41 of vertically elongated rectan section, and at their lower ends into the upar crossper side of a similar header 42. To enhance the atmospheric cooling of the condenser 13, means of forced air circulation may be provided, driven by the motor 12. For this purpose, a rotary fan 43 is shown mounted on the rear end of the motor shaft 44, be-

tween the upright portions of the condenser tubes 40 and the rear edge of the base 35, and also a rotary fan 45 on the rear end of the compressor shaft 46, shown as built into the fly-Wheel or pulley 47 that takes the motor belt 11.

The headers 41, 42 are mounted and supported on the frame structure formed by the parts above described, and particularly by the end'plates 36, 36. As shown in Figs. I and II, the front header 41 is mounted between the upper front corners of the end plates 36,86 in the angle of their flanges, and is clamped between the plates and held in place by a tie rod 48 extending along the rear side of the header and connected through the plates. The lower header 42 is 'fits in the corners of their flanges.

mounted between the plates 36, 36 at the rear, against their flange,-extending partly above and partly below the plane of the base plate 35. This header 42 rests on a tie rod 49 connected through the end plates 36, 36, which are thereby clamped together on the ends of the header. At their upper rear corners, the end plates 36, 36 are spaced apart by an angle bar strut 50 (Fig. II) tll ikat plates 36, 36 are clamped together on the angle strut 50 by a tie rod 51 located in the angle of this strut and connected through the plates, and serving to hold the strut in place.

The refrigerant vapor inlet connection 14 from the high pressure side of the compressor 10 extends through the lower side of the header 41, about at its middle. Instead of opening freely and directly into the interior of the header 41, however, this inlet connection comprises a longitudinal pipe 52 in the lower region of the header 41, capped at its ends and suitably perforated to deliver and distribute the refrigerant vapor more or less uniformly throughout the length of the header. As shown in Fig. IV, the pipe 52 has perforations 53 at or'about its bottom, through which lubricant suspei ided in the refrigerant that may collect in the pipe 52 may drain into the bottom of the header 41. The lubricant collecting in the bottom of the header 41-either draining thereinto from the pipe 52, or separating out owing to the relative stillness of the refrigerant vapor in the ample space afiorded by the header-is discharged from the header 41 separately from the refrigerant vapor, be-

ing in the present instance conveyed and de livered to the lower header 42 through L- bent tubes 55, 55 connected into the lower portion of the header 41 at either end, and

into the top of the header 42,-substantially in the plane of the inner bank of tubes 40, but beyond their ends. On occasion, the header 41 may be vented or drained through a pet-cock 56 mounted in its bottom'near one end, and shown as provided with an air vent tube 57 extending up around the pipe 52 nearly to the top of the header 41.

As shown in Figs. II and III, the lubricant pipes or tubes 55 extend down across the interior of the header 42 nearly to its bottom. through the tubes 55 and collecting in the bottom of the header 42 is drawn off and led to the compressor 10 by a pipe connection 58 taking into the bottom of the header 41 at one end, and into the front bearing hub 59 of'the compressor. As shown in Figs. I, II, and III, a pressure gage 60 may be connected into the lubricant intake portion 59 of the compressor 10, to show the pressure of the lubricant thus supplied it, as well as the pressure at the high side of the compressor.

The refrigerant condensed and liquefied in the condenser tubes 40 collects in the header 42 on top of the lubricant, and is separately drawn off through the connections 19, 19 already mentioned. As shown in Figs. II, III, and VI,'these connections 19, 19 take through. the rear side of the header 42 in its upper portion; but at different levels, so that by no possibility shall the connection afforded by them become air-bound. Across the interior of the header 42 there is a baffle 65, extending lengthwise of the header between the lubricant pipes 55, 55, and here shown as arranged diagonally, from the upper rear corner of the header 42 to its lower front corner. This baffle affords a dead space for gravity separation of lubricant and The lubricant draining down liquid refrigerant beneath it,sheltered from agitation and mixing by the discharge from the lower ends of the condenser tubes 40. As shown in Figs. II and III, therejis a blowoff and drain connection 66 from the righthand end of the header 42 at its rear side, about at mid-height thereof, normally closed by a screw plug 67.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A refrigerant regenerator comprising a tending rearward and downward from the first header to the second, means for separately conveying from the intake header to the discharge header entrained lubricant collecting in the intake header from the refrigerant vapor, a liquid refrigerant reservoir detachably connected to. the upper portion of said discharge header, and a lubricant connection from the lower portion of said discharge header to the compressor.

3. A refrigerant condenser comprising an upper inlet header, a lower discharge header, tubes connecting said headers, and means for separately conveying from the upper header to the lower header entrained lubricant collecting in the upper header from the refrigerant vapor.

4:. A refrigerant condenser comprising an upper inlet header, a lower discharge header, condensing tubes connecting the upper regions of said headers, and a lubricant conduit connecting the lower regions of said headers.

5. A refrigerant condenser comprising an upper inlet header receiving refrigerant vapor in one longitudinal region thereof, a lower header with refrigerant and lubricant discharge from its'upper and lower regions respectively, condensing tubes connecting said headers, opening into a different longitudinal region of said upper header from that above mentioned, at the top and from one side thereof, and into the top of said lower header, and a lubricant conduit opening into the first mentioned region of the upper header and into the bottom of the lower header.

6. A refrigerant condenser comprising intake and discharge chambers, with atmospherically exposed condensing connections between them, and means for separately conveying from the intake chamber to the discharge chamber entrained lubricant collecting in the intake chamber from the refrigerizontally disposed upper header, a lowerv header, and condenser tubes connecting said headers, a delivery conduit from the com pressor to the upper header, and means for distributing refrigerant from the conduit along substantially the entire horizontal extent of the upper header.

9. A refrigerant regenerator including a compressor, a condenser comprising a horizontally disposed upper header, a lower header, and condenser tubes connecting said headers, a delivery conduit from the compressor to the upper header, and means for distributing refrigerant from the conduit along substantially the entire horizontal extent of the upper header, said means consisting of a horizontally disposed perforated tube connected to said conduit.

10. A refrigerant regenerator including a compressor, a condenser comprising upper and lower headers and condenser tubes con necting said headers, a refrigerant reservoir, and connections between the lower header and the reservoir opening at different levels into the lower header.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Buffalo, New York, this 28th day of April, 1927.

EUGENE L. BARNES. 

